LAWRENCE — University of Kansas Libraries will hold a celebration recognizing winners of the Snyder Book Collecting Contest.

The event will be held Thursday, April 19, in Watson Library, level 3 west. The reception and viewing of the collections starts at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m. Visit www.lib.ku.edu/snyder to learn more about the contest, and RSVP for the reception to Kristina Crawford at 785-864-8961 or crawkrc@ku.edu.

This year’s 56th annual contest will culminate with a reception and viewing of finalists’ collections, followed by a recognition of winners and a presentation by James Gunn, professor emeritus of English at KU and a noted science fiction author.

Gunn created KU’s Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction in 1975 and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction in 1982. Since he began his career as a science fiction author in 1948, he has had nearly 100 stories published in magazines and anthologies and has authored 26 books. He was named a Damon Knight Grand Master in 2007 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

The collecting contest was established by Elizabeth Snyder in 1957 to cultivate and recognize undergraduate and graduate students’ interest in collecting books. Continuing last year’s addition to the rules, digital objects and non-print materials may be submitted as collections or in support to books.

The contest features $1,100 in cash awards for both graduate and undergraduate divisions plus gift cards donated by Jayhawk Ink for all winners. Awards were generated by the Snyder Book Collecting Contest fund at KU Endowment..